Private Electronic Grapevine at eVine.com

Posted on June 4, 1998

The "Private Electronic Grapevine" was announced today by eVine Online, a company based in Ithaca, New York. eVine Online's website offers features such as on line photo albums, calendars, discussion groups, address books, announcements, and other features in a password-protected web community.

"The web site is designed to enable non-computer experts to harness the Internet’s remarkable communications capabilities, even when separated by great distances," according to Robert Samuelsen, the company’s president. "Using our service, family and friends around the world can use the Internet to stay connected with an ease never before possible just as they would if they lived next door." Samuelsen added that "We’ve made it simple for users to contribute content, administer the elements of their group’s own private, secure gathering place, all at an extremely reasonable price."

Upon registration, each eVine group appoints a "group administrator" who has access to web-based administrative tools that provide the ability to activate and inactivate group members. Once enrolled, each member must select and use a password to enter the group’s private site which can include photos or pictures, calendar items, discussion groups, address books, an announcement area, and other features. Users can add, modify, and delete content to each of these areas using interactive tools on the website.